Moonwalkers
by Twinklingpaopufruit
Summary: Repost from A03: Stiles had his entire Seven Years of Hogwarts all planned out: Prank and Prank Hard. Woo Lydia Martin. Avoid detention and Potions at all cost. Have crazy fun. Enter brooding werewolf to send this plan to the bottom of the Black Lake.


Derek's hands had not stopped shaking since the fire. He slowly reached for the hem of his wizard dress robes and bit down on the instinct to retract his claws into the hand-me down robes. The clothes made Derek scratch at his wrist and the awful smell made Derek hold his breath for long periods. He did not want to wear the clothes, but he did not have a choice. All his belongings had turned to ash and he knew the Wizengamot would not appreciate him walking into the court with muggle clothes.

His shaking spread to his body as he watched elderly wizards take their seats on the elevated crescent platform. It was almost time. He let out a shaky breath and nearly jumped out of his skin when his older sister, Laura, placed a warm hand on his shoulder. "Remember to watch what you say, ok, Derek," Laura whispered.

Derek nodded and saw all fifty members finally sit down and the Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot stand. He was a middle-aged man with a rather prominent receding hairline and only his large, long, thin nose and double chin distracted from that fact.

"If everyone is seated, I would like to proceed in presenting the case against Argent, Gerard and Argent, Kate to the jury," the Chief Warlock said monotonously. Derek saw that off on the side the Court Scribe was taking note of everything. "Firstly, would Mister Derek Hale, victim of the Hale Manor Fire, please approach the floor."

After a gentle nudge from Laura, Derek stumbled to his feet and down the stairs to the platform and tentatively sat down on the lone chair in front of the Wizengamot.

"My name is Ichabod Adams, Wizard Youth Representative," He said turning his firm gaze to Derek. He was not as old as the Chief Warlock but the only thing remotely pleasing of his face were his blue eyes. "I will be questioning you under the truth charm. As rules of the Wizengamot, established in 1912 minors are not allowed to undergo Veritaserum, therefore you will not be forced to say anything against your will. A green light will appear over your head if you are telling the truth, anything untrue will turn red. You are not obligated to answer any questions you do not wish." Adams instructed. "Do you understand Mister Hale?"

Derek nodded wordlessly and watched as Adams wave his wand over his head.

"Please state your full name," Adams said.

"Derek Lucas Hale."

"How old are you?"

"Eleven."

"Do you know why you are here?"

Derek resisted the automatic urge to growl and point out that if he didn't know why he was here he wouldn't be here. Instead, he forced down the primal urge and stated without emotion, "Kate Argent used me to get my family where she and Gerard Argent murdered my family in a fire."

"Please state a clearer definition of the word _used_ Mister Hale. How did she use you?"

Derek looked away from Adams and turned to the Wizengamot. All the wizards and witches leaned in, their curiosity peaked. "She approached me outside the wards of the manor and asked me questions."

"What sorts of questions?"

"Simple things at first. She asked me who I was, why I was in the woods, what I liked to do in my spare time, she asked if I wanted to play with her."

"How did you answer each question, Mister Hale?"

"I told her my name." Derek paused and bit his lip. He felt it was best leaving the information about Paige a secret. Her death was never put under investigation and Derek wanted it that way. He did not want them knowing that he went to the woods to visit her death site every day, instead he said, "I like playing in the woods." The light above his head shined green, not a complete lie nor a complete truth. "And I said I would like to play with her. She became my friend in a way. But then she started asking me questions about my family of where they lived, when did we all come together, and I answered all her questions. I did not realize she was using me to kill my family until it was too late."

"When did you Mister Hale come to the conclusion she was using you?"

"When she chained me to a tree using a fire rope charm." Derek looked to Laura and she nodded in encouragement, as he left out crucial information that Kate had also used real chains dipped in wolfsbane to tie him to the tree.

When he turned to back to Adams, the man seemed as if he did not believe him but the green light proved otherwise. The other members of the Wizengamot were appalled at this revelation and some of them looked sickened.

"Mister Hale, show us the wounds that Kate Argent placed on you."

Derek panicked in his seat. He did not want to show any of the markings but he knew it would help the case. So after fidgeting with the buttons of his shirt, he pulled it over his head and showed the court. There was a collective gasp as everyone saw the large red welts across his torso. Derek never felt more relieved that fire made werewolves heal just as slow as humans, meaning the marks would be on his body for a while.

"That is enough. Mister Hale, you may go resume your position." Derek nodded and tugged his shirt back on. "Miss Laura Hale, please take the stand."

Laura approached confidently to the stage; Derek admired her strength greatly. They cast the same charm overhead as she was only sixteen and began to question her much in the same manner they had with Derek.

"Where were you during the night of the fire?"

"I was at Allan Deaton's, Headmaster of Hogwarts, home at exactly nine o'clock in evening. We were both discussing my upcoming sixth year and what classes I should take if I wish to pursue a career in law." Laura said precisely and saving Adams from asking her more questions.

"Why were you at the Headmaster's house at such a late time?"

"The Hale and Deaton family have been very close friends for over eight hundred years. It is not uncommon for my family to reside in his home even past what people would call appropriate hours."

Adams nodded and moved on with a different question. "Do you stand by your brother's accused charges of Kate Argent?"

"Completely."

"Why? From the evidence gathered you never saw Kate Argent until she was disappearing from the scene of the crime."

"That is true. _But from the evidence gathered_ , Kate Argent was in the summer of completing her fourth year from Beauxbatons, she had no business of being in Sherwood Forest at the hours my brother met her. She obviously had an ulterior motive." Laura said haughtily.

The Chief Warlock who had been silent this entire time, smirked at Laura, "What was this ulterior motive?"

Derek saw the small facial tic in her lower jaw. "I cannot say. A question reserved for Kate Argent perhaps." Laura spat.

"Very well," The Chief Warlock said, dismissing Laura back to her post. "Bring in the accused."

The doors groaned as they were pushed wide open. Derek turned to the doorway and saw two figures approach, Kate and Gerard Argent with their hands tied in front of them from a charm.

Derek did not know why they had to be here. Everyone in the court knew they were guilty; Kate had used him while she and her father burned the manor to the ground.

As Kate passed by him, she blew him a kiss and a sarcastic flirtatious wave. He turned away from her stare and felt his sister's arm tighten around him.

"Kate Argent, please take the stand."

Kate remained where she was and turned to her father. Both of them grinned maliciously.

Gerard took a step forward and spoke up. "Before you question my daughter and I, I would like to make a statement that may actually declare our innocence."

The Chief Warlock eyed them skeptically. "And that is?"

"The Hale family for nearly eight hundred years has been cursed by a disease of the moon. The Hale family are werewolves."

A loud commotion rang through the court while Derek's heart stopped. This is what he was fretting. No one could know that his family were a pack of werewolves. His family's legacy would be tarnished and his family would not receive the justice they deserved; wizards hated werewolves. If Gerard were to show evidence to court, they would kill him and Laura on the spot.

The Chief Warlock pounded his gavel to silence the court. "That is a serious accusation, Mister Argent. Do you have any proof?"

"How bout shoving mountain ash down their throats?" A fourteen year old Kate, cackled madly.

Derek felt Laura tense beside him as the court went into a loud commotion again. Derek heard a few of the shouts and a few of the most elderly wizards wanted to run tests on them. This was it. Derek was going to die. He jumped in place as the doors were pushed open and three new figures emerged. Derek did not recognize them but a quick whiff and Derek could smell Argent all over them.

"What is the meaning of this?" The Chief Warlock shouted, upset that they were disturbing his court.

"I am here to provide evidence." The man said.

Derek turned to Gerard who was smiling, "Thank you, Chris. My son can explain to the entire court, how the Hale family—"

Chris Argent turned to his father without emotion and quickly turned to the Chief Warlock. "I am here to provide evidence _against_ Gerard and Kate Argent." Chris stated.

Derek did not understand. He felt his sister's grip on his wrist tighten in worry and Derek could see why. The woman who had come in with Chris sat down beside Derek with her daughter.

The elder woman glared at him as if he was wasting her time and turned to her husband. But Derek and Laura did not take their eyes off the pair. Both of them could smell the strong scent of wolfsbane emitting from the woman and her daughter that was only a few years younger than Derek. When Derek looked closer, he could see both of them had a silver chain around their necks that when Derek followed the chain he saw their family crest hanging from it and within the crest most likely contained the wolfsbane inside. Derek looked back to the stern redheaded woman and when he caught her gaze, Derek had to fight the urge to jump. She grasped the necklace with two delicate fingers and turned it toward him with a feigned smile. She _knew_. She knew what they were.

"Then you may proceed," The Chief Warlock stated.

Derek turned back to Chris Argent and watched him walk to the middle of the court, but he did not sit in the same chair that Derek or Laura had.

"I am here to state that the Hales are not werewolves, even if my father believes they are so."

Derek turned swiftly to the woman sitting next to him. She gave him another feigned smile and nodded in her husband's direction. Derek turned back.

"Within the Ministry's Beast Division laws, any wizards accused of being dark creatures are subject to investigation regardless of age; however, this law only applies to accused wizards who are also accused of committing a crime. The Hales have not. Therefore, the law then states any wizards accused of being dark creatures who have committed a crime are subject to investigation unless the wizards are minors. Derek Hale is eleven years old and Laura Hale is sixteen. Both are minors. This leaves the court with the two remaining Hales in St. Mungos. Cora Hale is nine years old, a minor as well, ruling her out investigation as well. Peter Hale is twenty-nine years old. He is not a minor. However, his current catatonic state leaves him unable for investigation."

Derek really did not understand. Why was Chris Argent defending them if he knew they were werewolves?

The Chief Warlock nodded. "Granted then. The Hales even if they are werewolves cannot undergo investigation. Therefore charge dismissed."

Chris nodded. "Good. Now, I would like to show you evidence that shall place my father and sister in Azkaban for a long time." He pulled open his robes and pulled out a large stack of letters tied to together by flimsy string. "In here are all the letters my sister and father sent to each other this summer. Within the letters they indicate how they are getting closer to detaining the Hale family and murdering them." Chris set the letters on the Chief Warlock's desk. The Chief Warlock rifled through them quickly and then passed them out to the people around them.

After a good ten minutes, the Chief Warlock folded his hands on his desk and turned to Gerard and Kate. "Do you have anything to say in your defense? These letters all point to your conviction."

"The letters are all true." Gerard said. "But I will not go back on my claim. The Hale family are- _were-_ a bunch of monstrosities and if I'm sent to Azkaban for cleansing our wizarding community then let it be."

"Miss Argent?"

Kate bared all her teeth maliciously and Derek could not believe he had fallen for that smile.

"Nothing? Well then. I Chief Warlock and the entire Wizengamot, sentence Kate Argent and Gerard Argent ninety years in Azkaban." He slammed his gavel on his podium. "Case closed."

The guards who brought the Argents in began pushing them in the direction of the door but Kate Argent resisted. She managed to push her weight into them and walked with determination to the middle of the podium.

She bared her teeth again this time more maliciously. "As this situation can't get any worse, I would like to say a few words. I didn't use Derek Hale to get to his family. It was just something to pass the time as I plotted against his family."

The entire court went into uproar. Derek could not hear it as he felt his stomach drop. This was what he was trying to avoid. He didn't want anyone knowing. He didn't think Kate would say anything to increase her sentence.

"Miss Argent?" Ichabod Adams said tentatively. "Are you suggesting you sexually abused Derek Hale?"

Kate guffawed. "I'm not suggesting it. I'm saying it. Though sexually abused sounds a bit too much. I'm not that desperate to sleep with an eleven year old. A bit of kissing a bit of tongue, making him thinking we were in a pretend relationship." Kate paused to wink at Derek. "All in the name of passing the time."

The court went into uproar again and Derek wanted the ground to eat him alive. He felt his breath quickening and without meaning to, he felt his claws digging into his robes. Immediately, his sister pulled him up. "C'mon, they are done with this case. Let's go."

Derek nodded and stood on shaky feet. He followed his sister as the lump in his throat grew. He hesitantly looked to Laura, but her face was blank as she swerved through everyone. What did his sister think? Did she blame him for everything?

Before he realized, both of them were in the Atrium and walking to the fireplace. Both of them stepped inside where in a tug and sweep were in Deaton's home.

Without prompting, Derek walked to the sofa and sat down. He turned to his sister who was standing in front of the fireplace with a blank look on her face.

"Laura?"

Laura didn't move. She continued to stare at nothing.

"Laura, _I'm sorry_. I really didn't mean for any of this to happen." Derek pleaded.

Laura gave him a blank look. "I don't know what you want me to say Derek. Our family is dead."

"Laura." Derek said close to tears.

"Derek, please not now." She sighed and sat beside him, cradling her head between her hands. "I just- _fuck -_ I don't even know how I'm supposed to react." She gave another sigh this one shakier.

They were quiet on the couch together for a long while. The more time passed, the longer Derek felt the ache in head and stomach increase. He wanted to know what Laura was thinking about. The guilt chewed on his insides making him muscles tense uncomfortably.

"Derek, I don't blame you." Laura finally said. "I'm disappointed beyond all measure, but I don't blame you. This is all the Argents fault."

Derek wanted to scoff at least that was only one of them. He blamed himself every minute. He spoke to Kate. He answered all her questions. He brought her into the forest. He let Kate threw the wards on the night of the lunar eclipse.

"Derek?"

"Yes?"

"I've been thinking, actually with Deaton, but perhaps it would be best for everyone if you didn't go to Hogwarts."

"What? But I can't miss; it's going to be my first year."

"I know but you can go next year."

Derek furrowed his brows. "But that means I'll graduate when I'm nineteen!"

"Derek, please just stay. It's only one year. Plus, you'll be here with Cora and Uncle Peter. Deaton said he's supposed to release them today."

Derek looked to Deaton's fireplace just to look away from his sister for a moment. His eyes lingered on the portrait above the mantle. It was a picture of Deaton with his sister Morrell laughing. The picture occasionally moved and showed them making faces at each other while the other wasn't looking. Derek hastily turned away from it and faced Laura. "Fine. But why do you get to go?"

"Its the year before NEWTs. I need to pay as much attention as I can to able to deal with seventh year. I can't miss it and I need to get good marks to be able to get a job."

"Why?" Derek whined. "Our family has money. It has more than enough money now."

"Cause that's the only way the Ministry will let me place you and Cora under my legal guardianship."

"What? Why not Peter? Or Deaton or even Morrell?"

"I'm the Alpha now, Derek. It's my duty to keep my pack safe."

Derek could see the uncertainty in his sister's green eyes. It was the first time he had seen that emotion in Laura so openly. She was scared and distraught. All of them were.

Laura shut her eyes, closing Derek from his sister's vulnerability. When she opened them again, Derek's saw her eyes filled with warmth and love. It reminded him too much of the looks their mother gave them after a bad full moon. The look filled Derek with an ache that settled deeply in his bones. His sister reached out to comfort him, but Derek stood and walked behind the couch. He didn't deserve what his sister was willing to give him. She should be upset and angry with him not trying to console him for the largest mistake he had ever made in his life.

Laura balled her outstretched hand and pressed into the cushion. She sighed deeply and turned back to the fireplace.

Derek felt ready to leave and head to his temporary room, but stopped as the fireplace crackled.

Both Deaton and Morrell climbed out of the fireplace. Deaton paused and looked to both of them. Derek wanted to punch the look off his face. It was filled with unwanted pity.

"How did the trial go?" Morrell asked.

"They got sent to Azkaban." Laura said. "What's going on with Cora and Peter?"

"They will be released under our care today. They just need Alan to set down the wards so they can apparate inside." She said. Derek saw Laura glare in the other woman's direction. "Of course, you meant how they are. Cora is fine-she began healing. She should be fine within two or three weeks. Peter well he's—"

"Peter is under intensive care, he remains catatonic. But-I think I shall be able to produce a potion that will help him." Deaton interrupted.

"Healing potions and healing magic don't work on werewolves," Laura said.

"My sister and I have been working with a new strain of wolfsbane that might help. It's going to take us about two months to brew and it will take about seven or eight months for it to take effect."

"That's nearly a year!" Laura growled, her eyes flashing red.

"The alternative is letting him heal naturally which will take about six years," Morrell said calmly. "Would you prefer that _Alpha Laura_?"

Laura's eyes remained in their Alpha color as she glared at Morrell. Derek understood the situation clearly and apparently so did Laura. Morrell was not like Deaton. She had originally come from a different pack meaning that her loyalties to the Hales were not drawn in blood as Deaton's was. She had every choice in leaving as their emissary if she did not find the Alpha competent. This was Morrell's way of seeing how Laura stood as an Alpha.

Laura sighed and her eyes returned to their natural color. "I expect you to brew the potion immediately; once Peter and Cora are fine then I shall take my pack and be out of your way."

Morrell nodded with a soft smile. "Of course, Laura." Morrell said.

Laura returned the nod politely. "Derek, go upstairs. I'll tell you when Cora and Peter come."

Derek knew that rejecting Laura's orders as a new Alpha would not do well in this time, considering that Morrell could leave so Derek found himself climb up the stairs.

He settled into the large bed and breathed in Laura's scent, as they had been sharing the bed for over a week. He was tired but didn't want to sleep. Too many nightmares of burning flesh kept him awake and he would rather be destroyed by his self loathing thoughts during waking hours than suffer through them unconscious. He grabbed one of the body pillows and hugged it instead while he eavesdropped on the conversation downstairs.

"What did Derek say?" Deaton asked.

He heard a chair slide across tile. They were on the kitchen island. "He agreed. He understands."

"Good." Deaton said. "What are you going to do about the full moon though?"

"What do you mean?"

"After a significant amount of trauma, werewolves tend to lose their anchors. Your Alpha spark will help you and give you relatively a good amount of control during the full moon. But Derek and Cora—" Deaton trailed.

Derek clutched the body pillow tighter. That was something he was not looking forward to.

"We'll do what we do to turned werewolves, chain them up and barricade them with mountain ash, until they find their anchors I guess."

"That's going to be a long process." Morrell said. "Might I also recommend Derek and if you and Cora wish, therapy."

"From whom?"

"Me. I can come down every evening after I finish classes to check on them while you are at school. You can come too though."

"Derek is not going to talk." Laura whispered sadly.

"Most likely not, but some sort of effort has to be made on part of your most damaged pack member."

"Ok."

Derek did not listen to the rest of the conversation. It merely consisted on how Deaton was controlling the press so limited articles printed over this matter rather than have the Daily Prophet ring on their doors.

Before Derek knew it though a crackle was heard at the fireplace. Derek ran down the stairs and stopped at the last step.

When Derek saw his youngest sister his heart convulsed inside his body. He felt like spitting it out. Half her face was black with red welts. Her wounds were pulsing as her body tried to heal them but the damage was too much. Her hair was merely a few strands barely held on by her scalp, but her appearance couldn't compare to Peter's whose face was barely recognizable.

With Laura's orders, Derek led Cora to the room upstairs and made her lie down, while Deaton and Morrell attended to Peter who was on a floating gurney. Cora began to tear and like Laura reached out for Derek, but Derek could not join her on the bed. He didn't know how to approach his family anymore or anyone. He felt distanced from them. So he left Cora crying on the bed alone and ignored the scent of isolation permeating around her. He went back downstairs where Laura was listening intently to the healers on how to remove and clean the bandages.

He waited for an hour for the healers to go and waited another hour and a half as they moved Peter upstairs and tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

When Laura finally seemed to catch a breath, Derek snatched it from her. He met her eyes in the hallway and walked back to their shared room. Laura sighed in disdain as she saw Cora still crying and clutching the bedsheets with her claws.

Derek stood in the doorway, silently observing as Laura climbed onto the bed. She grabbed Cora's hands and gently eased her to let go and retract her claws. Cora cried more as Laura shuffled her into her lap. Laura looked up at Derek and Derek averted his eyes. He could see a foot away where the carpet had uncleaned potion spill most likely left months ago. His eyes did not leave the spill until he was certain Laura had her full attention on Cora again.

His two sisters were wrapped around each other. Laura gently ran her hand over his sister's bald scalp, down her neck, and then back up again.

Derek released a silent whimper.

Laura looked up again, but this time Derek could not look away.

"It's gonna be ok I promise. It will all work out in the end." Laura whispered.

Derek did not see how that was possible.

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